Kembla Saltworks?!? Behind the name!

Four years ago, I made a quiet but life-changing decision: I wanted to go from bedroom hobbyist to serious songwriter.

I joined a songwriting club where the founder sends out a weekly prompt. You get seven days to write, roughly record, and share a song with the group for feedback. It’s been nothing short of transformational.

By day, I wear another hat — I’m a mental health counsellor. I’ve heard thousands of stories filled with pain, courage, resilience, and grief. It’s impossible for that not to seep into your soul.

Then there’s the third strand: a lifelong love affair with the ocean. She’s my muse, my mistress, and — when I make time to bodyboard or bodysurf — my not-often-enough companion.

All of these threads come together in Kembla Saltworks.

It’s a project that carries the essence of sand, salt, sea — and tears. My songs are like driftwood and trinkets that wash up on the shore. I don’t control what arrives. But I can notice their rough beauty, pick them up, and shape them into something worth holding.

Now, it’s time to let those songs go — to send them out into the wild and see if they can ride a few waves to distant and lonely shores.

And since you have washed up on mine… welcome.

Let’s walk together for a while. Let’s share in the rugged beauty, wonder, and mystery of existence.

You’ll get to hear the stories behind the songs — maybe even the awful first versions. And if you’ve got a story of your own, I’d love to help tell it.

Thanks for signing up.

Let’s paddle out and wait for the next wave.

The latest song is here: https://kembla-saltworks.carrd.co/#seahear